The present invention concerns the field of devices provided with at least one laser diode and installations or assemblies including such a device with a connector to an electric power supply intended for the device provided with at least one laser diode.
A laser diode is sensitive to the polarity of a supply voltage or any other voltage applied across the anode and the cathode of said laser diode or device provided with at least one laser diode which is supplied with power by said anode and said cathode. If a voltage of incorrect polarity exceeding the breakdown threshold of the laser diode is applied thereto, the voltage generally causes irreversible damage to the laser diode. Thus, it is important to protect the laser diodes and any device integrating such laser diodes from the application of incorrect polarity voltage in particular exceeding the breakdown threshold of such laser diodes and particularly from electric discharge which can occur when such laser diodes or devices including them are manipulated as long as they are not associated with a suitable electric power supply by means of a connector provided for such purpose.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electric protective system for devices provided with at least one laser diode and having connecting members for connection to an electric power supply intended for such devices.
The present invention therefore concerns a device provided with at least one laser diode and two electric connecting members for connection to an electric power supply for supplying said at least one laser diode, characterised in that it includes two elements which can be deformed elastically or moved, which are conductive electrically and arranged in a portion of the device electrically insulated from the connecting members, these two elastically deformable or moveable elements being electrically connected and arranged so as to abut against two respective contact surfaces of the two connecting members when the device is not connected to said power supply by means of an external connector which is complementary to the two electric connecting members. Said two elastically deformable or moveable elements are respectively separated from the two connecting members when the external connector connected to said power supply is introduced or are able to be respectively separated from said two connecting members after the external connector is introduced.
As a result of the features of the aforementioned device according to the invention, the two connecting members of the device, namely the anode and the cathode thereof, are protected by a short circuit established between these two members by means of elastically deformable or moveable elements which are conductive and electrically connected to each other. There is thus an efficient protection for any laser diodes included in the device according to the invention against the accidental application of a voltage of incorrect polarity and electric discharge when the device is handled before it is assembled with the external connector.
The invention also concerns an assembly or device including a device provided with at least one laser diode described hereinbefore and a connector used to connect such device electrically to an electric power supply. This connector has two members which are complementary to the connecting members of said device, these two complementary members having respectively two portions which are electrically insulated or formed of an insulating material which act as stops exerting respectively a pressure on the two elastically deformable or moveable elements when the connector is assembled with the device according to the invention, so as to compress or move these two elements and to keep them separate from the two connecting members of the device once the latter is assembled with the connector.
Such an assembly can form a laser, in particular a laser whose active medium is optically pumped by means of laser diodes. The laser diodes are integrated in devices according to the invention and mounted on the laser armature or enclosure which includes one or more of the connectors described hereinbefore. Thus, the device including the laser diodes are protected electrically until they are installed in the laser, which allows the complete functionality of the laser obtained to be guaranteed.